Kingdom Hearts Test of Courage
by TornadoconDoc
Summary: This is another AU fic. The timeline is during the Castle Oblivion Arc KH Chain of Memories for GBA. Some of the worlds visited are of anime origin. For more info, see profile.
1. DISCLAIMER

_Authoresses note: This is a story written in collaboration with my friend Aya. This is an AU fic with OC main characters. Once I get images scanned and hosted I will supply images of the OC's in various worlds for all who wish to see them. They will appear every other chapter, and the links will be at the bottom of the document._

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts series, that title is copy write SQUARE ENX/ DISNEY. I do not own any of the anime mentioned in this fanfic, and the only thing I do own are the likenesses and identities of the OC's. They cannot be used without my express permission. The art that will appear at the base of the chapters is also my own. If you hotlink the images, I will come after you. **_

_Now that we are done the formalities, on to the first chapter!_

_PLEASE REVIEW!_

This is another AU fic written by myself and my friend Aya. It features our own OC's in the KH relm. The timeline is during the Castle Oblivion Arc KH Chain of Memories for GBA. Some of the worlds that our characters visit are of anime origin. It features your favorite KH characters, along with some from other anime. It is a very good fic, and even if you hate AU fics or those with OC's, you will love this one. It is brilliantly written and pays great attention to detail. Images of the OC's are also availiable at the end of every other chapter.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter 1**

"**The Shadow"**

Darkness. It was complete and absolute. How did this happen? How did she end up here? Sakura thought this over and over as she drifted in the black nothingness. She tried to remember, what had happened to lead her here.

"Sakura! Open your eyes and keep working! The raft isn't going to make itself you know!" A female voice cried. Sakura opened her one eye, the other covered by her brown hair remained forever closed, and sighed. "Tsuki, do you _know_ how annoying it is to be woken up from a good dream?" The brunette growled as she sat up.

She had been lying in a forest-covered area of the island that she and the other kids lived on, called Sunrise Island. She dusted off her clothes and put her black framed sunglasses back on her nose. Sakura was tall, and was almost considered an adult. The others on the island looked to her as a role model. She was the best swordfighter, and very cunning. But that couldn't stop the fact that she loved to nap on sunny days.

She and Tsuki reached the beach to find their male friend, Shinta, standing there looking disgruntled. "Frowning makes you look like an old man, Shii-chan." Sakura said, using her nickname for the boy. Shinta and Tsuki were both 15 years old, one year younger then Sakura was. Shinta stuck his tongue out and hefted up the flag to the top of their man-made raft. The sun was setting, and it was getting late.

"Everyone turn in for the night! Sundown!" Sakura said as she made the announcement. She and the others made their way to their treetop abodes, Sakura's was at the top of the highest tree in the forest, so that she could look down and make sure that everything was ok. She reached her home and sat down on her bed, thinking about that dream. A voice told her that to solve the mystery of her blind eye, she would have to loose everything and gain something even more powerful. That made no sense.

She suddenly perked up, had they tied down the raft properly? If they didn't, it would float out to sea and they would have to start over again. Sakura jumped off her bed and ran out of her house, jumping from branch to branch, making her way to the shore. She saw the raft, tied down properly, and smiled to herself. Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her, she turned, but saw only shadows in the night.

Something was odd about these shadows, they were moving. But shadows don't move. She ran over to a bell that was used to signal trouble. She rang it with all her might, before something grabbed her leg. Without thinking, she lashed out, kicking with all her might. The shadow that had been holding her disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

She looked out to the peninsula of their island, to find Shinta standing there, looking different then before. "Shinta! Where's Tsuki?" She shouted. He turned to face her, his eyes seemed very dark. "Don't fear the darkness, Sakura. Embrace it. The darkness is your destiny." He said before being swallowed up by shadows. Sakura felt herself sinking, as she faded into the darkness.

There was a bright light, and she found herself holding an object. She couldn't see clearly but it looked like a cross between a sword and a key. _Keyblade_ A voice said, one that was not her own. She closed her eyes and faded into the darkness.

And that was how she ended up here. Before she knew it, she landed with a large thump on the ground. She sat up and dusted herself off. Before she could get her bearings, something crashed into her. "Ow!" She said, once again falling on her rear. She looked at what had bumped into her, it was another girl, with black hair and violet eyes. But who was she?

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"Kazu-kuuun!" A female voice yelled out. Perspiration began to form above Aya's brow as she struggled with the weight of a few heft brown-papered bags containing groceries in her arms as well as barely gripping another bag in her mouth. She lazily lifted a leg to 'knock' on the front door. Her stupid brother Kazuki was supposed to be on the lookout for her. She had warned him before hand that she would be on her way home from the market...and unable to open the door to her house.

Finally after several seconds the door cracked open a bit. Inside a clear aquamarine gaze met Aya's violet one, peering at her from behind small silver-rimmed glasses. "Yo", the voice greeted nonchalantly and shot her a coy grin.

"Don't you 'yo' me!", Aya hissed in response. But her vehement statement caused her to open her mouth a little wider to speak, thus dropping a bag and having a few cans run astray and down the stairs of their front porch.

Aya's brows furrowed angrily as she watched the vagrant food items before returning a glare back at her brother. "Baka, I told you to look out for me. Why didn't you come when I-" The answer to that question was quite evident as Aya shoved the door open and spotted an abandoned game console hooked up to their TV. "Right", she finished dully. Her brother was truly oblivious to his surroundings while playing with that thing.

Aya sat the bags down on the marble countertop of their kitchen. Behind her, an arm reached in front of her and set down some canned vegetables. "My bad", Kazuki said with a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head.

Aya glanced up at him and smiled sadly. She could never hold a grudge on him for long... "Whatever... By the way, I need you to give me a ride to Sunset Beach later on tonight. There's going to be a bonfire and stuff." With that she began happily stashing away the groceries whilst humming a little song.

Aya and her brother, along with their mother and younger sister inhabited a small peaceful island area entitled Sunset Island. It was a very small island, only a few thousand inhabited it, and everyone practically knew everyone else. The Valenti family led a very quiet yet happy existence. Well, Aya was content anyways.

From the very beginning of her childhood, Aya understood that she differed greatly from most other children. Starting with the basics, her family. Everyone in her family; well mother, sister, and brother, had very light and lovely features. Her mother was a blonde with bright blue eyes as was her sister. Her brother Kazuki had light brown hair, with a few blonde highlights enhanced by the time he spent outside in the sun. His eyes were a startling shade of aqua. And Aya...well she had naturally tanned skin and her hair was as black as night, and hung just past her shoulders. Her most troublesome feature thus far had been her eyes...they were a bright amethyst color.

She had been teased relentlessly for this in her childhood, and often had to depend on her brother to protect her from bullies. When questioning her mother about this, she merely replied that there was nothing wrong with her. And Aya should be grateful because angels had purple eyes... The last part of their conversation had always played in the back of Aya's mind for several years. ...Her eyes would be the key to helping others someday... This never made sense to her, and she wondered when and if it ever would.

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"Kazu-kuuun, I'm ready!" Aya cried out while strapping on her helmet in their driveway. She stood beside a bright yellow motorcycle that belonged to her brother. Though the beach was not at all far from where she lived, Aya would simply rather not walk. The sky was darkening at a quicker and quicker pace and the girl held a slight detestment of darkness.

Her brother hopped off the front porch, his helmet in hand. "You know, you really nag like a wife", he said with a serious face. Aya punched him lightly in the arm.

Kazuki chuckled softly in response but stopped when he glanced up towards the sky. "Ai-chan.. You sure about tonight? It looks darker than usual, like we're in for a storm."

Aya shook her head defiantly and got on her spot on the bike. "No way! The news forecast didn't say so and besides, everyone's already there."

Kazuki shrugged lightly and reached his left leg over the bike. "If you say so squirt." With that the two were off, heading towards an ever darkening horizon.

A crash of thunder made Aya straighten her posture suddenly. She gazed up at the sky and frowned deeply. Dammit...it would storm. As if right on cue, Kazuki turned his head briefly from the road ahead and shot her a know-it-all grin. Aya fumed and tightened her grip on the motorcycle.

An abrupt jerk sent Aya flying back...this movement caught her so much off-guard that was sent sprawling off the bike and landed rather ungracefully onto the ground. A bright pain went through her as the back of her head met the cement. Did she scream? It would certainly seem like a suitable reaction for such a situation, but Aya could not recall if she did.

The fifteen year old laid a hand gingerly on the spot on the back of her head which was injured. She pulled the body part back up in front of her face to examine a strange substance. Yes, her fingers were now covered in what she believed to be her blood.

The girl's violet eyes gazed around helplessly as the storm seemed to worsen around them. Now to accompany the thunder and lightening was a steady and forceful rainfall. Aya groaned as she struggled to sit up. A few yards from herself lay an abandoned yellow motorcycle...but no sign of the vibrant youth that was her brother.

"Kazu-kun", she called out meekly. But the rainfall covered whatever sound she made. Brushing aside the fact that her head was bleeding heavily now, Aya forced herself up in a panic. "Kazuki!" Her normally calm and soft voice wavered as doubt began to consume her. Where was he?

Perhaps this was the beginnings of a concussion kicking in, or Aya was losing too much blood, either way from the corner of her eyes she thought she saw dark thick puddles forming around her. Aya blinked slowly, dear god she was going insane.  
Then it came. A voice that was gentle and seductive yet horrifying at the same time. _Child born of light, it is time._ Aya's gaze darted around frantically in search of the embodiment of the voice, but to no avail. It was then that she realized her right hand was clutching something. Aya glanced down and uttered a slight cry of surprise as she was now holding a weapon that resembled a large key. _Use it well._

There was not much she could recall after that, for everything went black. Perhaps she had finally given in to her head injury...and if that was the case, it didn't feel bad at all. It felt almost as though she were slowly entering a warm bath...

When the young girl had regained consciousness she had opened her eyes only to squint. She had to adjust her vision to get used to the strange new area around her. Aya reached her hand back around her head only to realize the painful throbbing from before was gone...as was the wound. Odd. "Kazuki...", she uttered the name softly as though it were a foreign word of itself. "Kazu!", she repeated urgently once more while sprinting up. She had to find her brother, he had to be okay.

The girl unsure of where to go or look just started off in a sprint. Unfortunately her journey was short lived as she crashed into a figure. "Umph!", she cried out as she nearly fell. She glanced down and saw that the poor victim was a girl that appeared to be of her age. "Sorry?", she said in a state of confusion whilst gazing down at her and rubbing the back of her head.

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"Its alright." Sakura said as she rose, dusting herself off. She held her hand out to the girl and helped her up. "My name's Sakura." She said nonchalantly, moving away from the girl as soon as she was up. Sakura picked up her giant key thing, or so she called it, and hefted it onto her shoulder. "There's a town just down this path. I suggest we get there and find food and shelter."

True enough, in the distance was a large town. A giant clock tower could be seen from their vantage point on the path. Sakura turned away from the lights of the city, seeing something moving out of the corner of her eye. The shadows were scuttling around again. Her right eye, the one that remained forever closed, began to burn slightly. It seemed her bad eye was connected to these creatures.

"Run." Sakura said as she grabbed the girls hand. She noticed that the young woman also had a giant key thingy. Not that she cared. She had no feelings whatsoever to this girl, however, perhaps this violet eyed girl might know what happened to her comrades. One of the shadow things had the gall to leap at her. She slashed it down quickly with the key thingy. It disappeared in a puff of black smoke. "Cool." She muttered, being the kind of person that liked to break things. She was practically dragging the girl now, jeez, didn't she know how to run?

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